Lucknow, Aug 26 : In view of the growing popularity of a wide variety of traditional handicrafts of Uttar Pradesh following the launch of One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, the Uttar Pradesh government is building the first handicrafts park of the state in Sector 29 of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), state government officials said Today.

A total of 76 industrialists have acquired land at the park spread over an area of 50 acres to set up their factories at the cost of Rs 403 crore. The factories being set up at the park will provide permanent employment to 22,144 people.

The maiden handicrafts park of UP will feature workshops, factories and outlets making, showcasing and selling the wide ranging handicrafts of the state to the domestic and global visitors, aiming at conserving the traditional crafts, providing employment to thousands of artisans of the state and boosting the handicrafts sector’s contribution to the state’s economy.

It is already known to everyone that UP’s rich traditional handicrafts, including Banarasi sarees, brass works of Moradabad, perfumes of Kannauj, chikankari of Lucknow and terrocotta art of Gorakhpur are world- famous. In fact, every district of the state has at least one special product that is integral to its identity.
Hundreds of craftspersons are making beautiful things from clay, wood and other materials, including toys and idols that have started drawing attention of people from other parts of the country as well.

While on the one hand, the park will enable people to get all famous handicrafts of UP under the same roof, on the other it will provide a huge market for these products, boosting UP’s handicrafts business. It will facilitate export of UP’s handicrafts to different countries of the world.

People living in Delhi and Noida will also be able to easily find handicrafts of Lucknow, Meerut, Bareilly, Firozabad, Agra, Varanasi, Chandauli, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh, Mirzapur and Jhansi and Lalitpur.

According to the YEIDA officials here, entrepreneurs working in handicrafts sector are very excited about the first handicraft park of the state. Prominent among the 76 investors at the park includes: Vikas Exports, which deals in wood, metal and marble works. Vikas Exports has been allotted 5,000 square metres of land to set up its venture.
Similarly, land has been allotted to The Silk Factory, Rateria Exports, Narayan Creation, Wazir Chand & Co, Dux India Industries Pvt Ltd, Dwar Footwear Industries and Specialist Home Concepts.

According to the officials, this park near Jewar airport will feature handicrafts from all over the country and soon become the most prominent place for artisans and craftsmen.

The park will be similar to the Hunar Haat organised in Delhi, which is attended by over 600 artisans and craftsmen from across states and union territories displaying indigenous products. People buy these products to decorate their homes and for other purposes.

It is noteworthy that the Yogi Adityanath Government’s schemes like ODOP as well as Vishwakarma Shram Samman seek to promote both local artisans and local handicrafts and artworks. Even the Matikala Board was formed on the initiative of CM Yogi Adityanath to protect and promote local artisans. The artisans were provided training and market facilities as part of the initiative.(UNI)